…Petitions IGP, Amnesty International, NHRC, NBA
BEVERLY HILLS, September 04, (THEWILL) –Â The Delta State Police Command has come under heavy knocks following a petition by the human right group, Centre for the Vulnerable and the Underprivileged, (CENTREP), alleging threat to life of its members and unlawful extorting of citizens who are ought to be taken on bail for free.
The petition addressed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Amnesty International, National Human Right Commission (NHRC), as well as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and made available to THEWILL came barely few months after two Warri-based human right lawyers were allegedly killed in a questionable circumstance in Delta State.
The petition signed by Barrister Oghenejabor Ikimi, Executive Director of CENTREP, specifically, accused the Police Division in Sapele council area of unlawful extortion of citizens and threats to life of its members who had visited the police station on behalf of its clients.
The petitioner said it was taking the threat to life serious following the likely incidents which led to the alleged gruesome murder of two human right lawyers, Messrs Horis Eguonor Dafiaghor and Samuel Ekuwanju, who were murdered on their way to the High Court, Oleh in Delta State on the 27th day of March, 2014 by unknown gunmen the same day their clients were also murdered.
Giving a graphic details of the incidents leading to the petition, Ikimi alleged that the trio of Sergeants Benjamin, Edet Ubong and Inspector Lucky Isiza, attached to the Nigeria Police Station, Sapele, had reportedly threatened the life of one Barrister (Mrs.) Onosakponome Juliet Okoroze-Egbo, over the latter’s usual refusal for her clients to part with bail money to the Police.
The said police officers had reportedly accused the lawyer of ‘blocking’ their chances of ‘collecting’ money from people whom they arrested, a development which at one occasion reportedly caused the police to threat to ‘deal’ with the lawyer if she continues her usual resistance for her clients to part with bail money.
According to the petitioner, Mrs. Okoroze-Egbo, who is a practicing lawyer who reside in Sapele and Assistant Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, had in pursuance of her job as a lawyer and a civil rights activist, taken a brief on the 27th of July, 2014 by one Mr. Oghenevwede over the arrest of his wife at the Nigeria Police Station, Sapele in a case of house breaking and unlawful entry.
The petitioner further said that Mrs. Okoroze-Egbo, who doubled as the Sapele Local Government Area Co-Coordinator of the CENTREP, a human rights organisation opposed to all forms of societal ills including police extortions, had accompanied one Mr. Oghenevwede after taking her brief to the Sapele Police Station, where she discovered that her Divisional Police Officer, SP. Ragim Mohammed, was not on seat.
The petition read in part; “Mrs. Okoroze-Egbo now approached the Investigating Police Officer, Sergeant Benjamin who upon hearing the mission of the said Counsel, went into his car and drove off without any comment.
“Mrs. Okoroze-Egbo had no option than to put a call through to the then Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 5, Benin City, Mr. Hashimu Arugungu, who immediately ordered the release of the said suspect from custody. The above no doubt angered the Policemen in the Division.
“Furthermore, “on the 2nd of August, 2014 one Mr. Anthony Ebelu, the Landlord to Mrs. Loveth Oghenevwede was also arrested by Sergeant Benjamin on the same charge of breaking and entry and demanded the sum of N20,000.00 as ransom for the release of the said suspect, a move Mrs. Okoroze-Egbo courageously and vehemently opposed, and thereafter she put several un-replied phone calls to her Divisional Police Officer, before again alerting the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 5, Benin City, who again ordered the release of the suspect. The above again angered the Policemen in the Division.
“It is also our brief, that Mrs. Okoroze-Egbo was compelled to put the above phone call to the Assistant Inspector General of Police after Sergeant Benjamin refused the bail of her client coupled with threats from the said Sergeant Benjamin in company of Inspector Lucky Isiza to the effect that Mrs. Okoroze-Egbo was in the bad books of the Police, as she does not know how to work as a lawyer and that the Police will soon execute their plot against her.
“That Mrs. Okoroze-Egbo reported the above threats to her life to the Divisional Police Officer of the said Sapele Police Station in a bid to knowing the said plot against her by the Police. Mrs. Okoroze-Egbo was in turn invited by the said Divisional Police Officer to his office promising to invite the Policemen concerned.
“That Mrs. Okoroze-Egbo while honoring the above invitation went in accompany of Barrister M.A. Okpalefe, a Centrep’s lawyer and on getting to the said office of the Divisional Police Officer, he declined to look into the complaint of Mrs. Okoroze-Egbo on the pretext that she came in company of her colleague to his Office.
“However, a new date was given by the said Divisional Police Officer to Mrs. Okoroze-Egbo for a meeting with the said Policemen.
“That on the appointed date, the said Policemen not only reaffirmed the complaint of Mrs. Okoroze-Egbo, but stressed that the Counsel was fond of securing the release of suspects “free of charge” by calling the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 5, Benin City, as if it was a crime to securing the release of suspects from Police cells free of charge.
“The Divisional Police Officer after hearing from all the parties, pleaded with Mrs. Okoroze-Egbo to forego her complaint and to always contact him each time she had any challenge in securing the release of her clients.
“That as if the above threats were not a enough, on the 2nd of September, 2014 when Mrs. Okoroze-Egbo was at the Nigeria Police Station, Sapele over an assault case involving the duo of Baby Obiebi and Sunday Obiebi being handled by one Sergeant Edet Ubong, who had earlier collected the sum of N30, 000.00, from one of the suspect before she was briefed, was demanding for a further sum of N30, 000.00 as ransom, a move Mrs. Okoroze-Egbo again courageously and vehemently opposed.
“Sergeant Edet Ubong in company of Inspector Lucky Isiza again reaffirmed their earlier threats to Mrs. Okoroze-Egbo to the effect that she would end up going the way his colleagues who had championed human rights activism in the past had gone.
“That bearing in mind the case of Late Messrs Horis Eguonor Dafiaghor and Samuel Ekuwanju both human rights lawyers who were murdered on their way to the High Court, Oleh in Delta State on the 27th day of March, 2014 by unknown gunmen the same day their clients were also murdered, the above threats of the said Policemen attached to the Nigeria Police Station, Sapele cannot be wished away with a wave of hand, hence this petition.
“In the light of the above threats, the Centre for the Vulnerable and Underprivileged, (CENTREP) has written a petition to the Inspector General of Police, Amnesty International, National Human Rights Commission, Nigerian Bar Association for the above agencies and the general public to take note of the above sinister acts of the trio of Sergeants Benjamin, Edet Ubong and Inspector Lucky Isiza and the worsening level of Police extortion at the Nigeria Police Station, Sapele.
“That in the light of the foregoing, we call on the Inspector General of Police to immediately carry out an unbiased and an impartial investigation into the above case as justice delayed is justice denied”.
When contacted however, the state Police Public Relation Officer, Celestine Kalu, said she was not aware of the petition ostensibly because it was yet to get to the IGP’s office, saying once they have it, they would look at the case.
